Never Too Late
by m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing
Summary: Only weeks into retirement, Charles decides he's bored. So he goes on a hunt for something to concentrate on, something to dedicate his hard work and time to at Elsie's recommendation. However, when he proposes his new "hobby" for them both to share, she realises he may not have fully understood what she was suggesting... Chelsie fluff/humour :D
1. Chapter 1

**Multi chapter fic! Will be updating as and when I get the chance to write, hopefully once a week :) I hope you like it as I'm still relatively new when it comes to Downton fic writing, but I had good comments on my one-shot which spurred me to write this!**

 **Reviews welcome :) -Sophie x**

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Carson and Mrs Hughes had been living in their cottage together for a couple of months when she came downstairs to find her husband laid on his back, head under the coffee table huffing and muttering to himself.

"Charles Carson what in the name of God are you doing?" Elsie exclaimed, nearly tripping over his long legs as she carried a tea tray into the living room.

"I'm trying to fix the drawer on this useless lump of wood." He muttered from the floor before shuffling out onto the carpet. "It squeaks and it irritates me."

"You worked with Mr Barrow for enough years and you didn't try stop _him_ annoying you." The woman raised an eyebrow before offering him her hand. She helped him to his feet before pouring a cup of tea.

"Yesterday you polished all our shelves for the third time this week, the day before you dusted all the cabinets and the day before that you inventoried all our pots and pans!" Elsie looked at her husband over her steaming tea cup. "What's going on?"

Charles sighed, putting his own cup back on its saucer before looking up at his wife.

"I don't know, I guess I'm just… out of things to do." He gestured vaguely around the room. "I'm used to being in a big house 24/7! Not a small cottage with only 4 rooms."

"Goodness, you can't be bored with retirement already?"

The man didn't answer, and Elsie's mouth fell.

"We've only been retired 4 weeks!"

"I know I know!" He groaned. "I know. I just don't know what to do with my time anymore."

Silent with pure surprise, the woman blinked.

"Find yourself a hobby or something. Learn to paint, learn to fish anything- just please stop tinkering about the house doing needless this-and-thats." Through her shock, she managed to smile.

"I do love you you know but you can be a bit… bumbly, sometimes."

"Bumbly?!" He said indignantly. "That's not even a wordI don't know what that means but I know I am not it!"

Elsie threw her hands up in the air before getting to her feet.

"Whatever you say Mr Carson but you at least realise you need a hobby?"

She looked at him with pleading eyes. The cottage was her pride and joy and from their very first visit, Charles realised this. She loved it almost as much as she loved him.

"Yes, ok, fine. I'll go to the post office tomorrow and make some enquiries about societies. Will that make you happy Mrs Hughes?"

Her eyes softened as she clasped her hands together.

"Immensely my dear. Right; finish up what you're doing here quickly because the Bates' are due for luncheon any moment. Chop chop!"

She flashed him a heart-warming smile before leaving the room, going to make up the sandwiches and a fresh pot of tea whilst her husband mumbled to himself once again. He may not be perfect but he was hers, and she loved him with all her heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2 of this little fic! I'm back to school tomorrow so updates may become scarcer; though I'll try not to let that happen!**

 **I hope you like it and reviews are welcomed! -Sophie x**

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The following day Mr Carson headed into the village, nodding to various residents as he passed them. He even met Lady Rosamund who was up from London to visit Sybbie and George.

"So you no longer work at the house? Nor Mrs Hughes?" She frowned after he explained the marriage and retirement. "Goodness, I thought it seemed oddly quiet last night. How on earth are they coping without you both?"

"Only the good Lord knows m'lady. "Modern Times" apparently. According to Lady Mary, it's becoming increasingly uncommon to see butlers around these days." He pulled a face. "Not that I am saying they should replace us, but…"

Rosamund nodded and she glanced to her chauffeur stood beside the car.

"I know what you mean Carson. Well I must be off but I hope you have a pleasant day; send my best wishes to Mrs Hughes won't you?"

"I will m'lady, she'll be happy to know you're well."

With a tip of the hat Charles watched the woman climb into her car and shut the door as the engine roared to life. He walked to the edge of the pavement to wave her off, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed a small figure dart into the road. Acting on impulse, the man ran out into the middle of the road and grabbed the child just in time. The chauffer had to slam on the breaks in order to avoid the retired butler, and the vehicle came to a standstill half swerved on the pavement.

In Charles' arms, the child began to wail and the man straightened up once he recovered from the shock. He had been protecting a little girl, around the age of 1 or 2 who by the looks of it, was just learning to walk. Her fair hair shone as the sun bounced from it, and her deep brown eyes seemed to capture Carson's interest for a few seconds longer than usual.

"You gave me a fright there." He mumbled, putting the girl down and looking around for her parent. However, none of the worried crowd came forth to claim her and he frowned.

"Where's your mother?" He asked slowly and clearly. From the car, Lady Rosamund watched the scene unfold with a mixture of horror and amusement.

Back on the road, the girl looked up at Charles and broke into a gummy grin. Rather alarmed, the man shook his head.

"No, no- where is your mother? Mummy?" He looked for any trace of comprehension from the girl but he never received any. "Mama?"

Instead of answering, the fair-haired girl erupted into a fit of giggles and reached up to grab his tie that had come loose from its pin. He turned away abruptly making the girl jump, and immediately her lower lip began to wobble.

"No, no don't cry-"Charles tried to soothe her but she burst into floods of tears, causing more people to stop and stare. With no evident sign of any parents, the man sighed and picked her up before walking off towards the post office, instantly quieting the small figure. He frowned as she began to prod his face and giggle to herself, happy again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3!**

 **Reviews are welcomed, and I hope you enjoy- any name suggestions would be nice? -Sophie x**

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"The nearest orphanage is in Ripon I'm afraid." The man behind the counter in the post office watched Carson's face with fascination as it changed from shock to anger, to indignance to pleading.

"There has to be somewhere she can go, surely?"

The man simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry Mr Carson. Police station, Ripon or nothing."

"Well how am I going to get all the way to Ripon? The buses don't run on Sundays and I can't be expected to pay her fare!"

"I've honestly told you all I know sir."

Sighing, Charles nodded and left the shop with the little girl in his arms. He wasn't quite sure what to do; did he drop her off at the police station when he reports her found? Or does he wait until tomorrow and take her to the orphanage?

She started kicking and moaning irritably, her small tatty shoes colliding with the sides of his ribs. Charles groaned and put her down sharpish, but she refused to stand. Instead the small figure collapsed to the floor and decided to throw a tantrum in the middle of the street.

It was quite a sight; seeing Downton's retired butler nursing a bruised rib whilst simultaneously trying to remove the mud stain from his shirt _and_ quieten the little girl. Eventually he threw his hands up in the air, defeated.

"What do you want child?" He asked sharply, shutting her up almost instantly. "Are you hungry? Do you want food?"

She shook her head.

"Water? Drink?"

She shook her head again.

"Mama, papa? No? Then that makes two who don't know what you want."

"I think she might be tired."

A soft woman's voice made him jump, and Charles turned to see Mr Branson's friend stood clutching a satchel.

"Miss Bunting, how nice to bump into you." He said gruffly. "Sorry about the commotion."

"Don't worry yourself with it. She looks as if she needs a warm cup of milk and a nap, that's all. I didn't realise you had a granddaughter."

The man looked taken aback.

"Miss Bunting that would be impossible seeing as I have no children of my own. She is merely a girl I saved from being run over and has no apparent family."

"You saved her life? How honourable. She's a sweet little thing isn't she, I'd know if I'd seen her at the school infant room or not."

"Well where has she come from then?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders.

"God moves in mysterious ways. Anyway I must be off, report her then go from there." She smiled before walking off, waving goodbye to the girl as she went.

…

"What do you mean you can't keep her here? Where is she meant to go now?" Charles was furious; the police had declined to take the girl into their care.

"We're not equipped to look after waifs and strays. All our safe houses are full to the brim with war orphans as it is. You'll have to look after her until tomorrow."

The man's face grew more and more crimson with each passing second.

"And how, exactly, am I meant to do that in a one bedroomed cottage? And I have my wife to consider too; plus expenses-"

"-look," the police man interrupted him, "if we give you £1 and the promise of a car to take her to Ripon orphanage in the morning, will you take her for the night?"

Charles took the offer into consideration. It was less than 24 hours, Elsie had always doted on Sybbie and George back at the house and he was beginning to tire of going from person to person.

"Fine, fine. I'll take her. But only for the night mind. What am I meant to call her- does she have a name?"

"There are no missing girls reported sir so you call her whatever she'll respond too. Have a nice evening."

The man and the girl left the police station, and Charles made his way slowly back home with the small figure curled up in his arms, her body warm against his as the night chill came drawing in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Just a short one whilst school is kinda quiet :D Hope you enjoy and reviews are welcomed!**

 **-Sophie x**

 **(P.S- What did you all think of the series premiere?)**

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"When I said find a hobby," Elsie said slowly, watching the little girl play with the layers of fabric on her skirt, "I meant a theatre group or a council. I was not thinking about getting a child Charles."

"I know I know." He sighed, sitting down in the chair by the fire, "But what could I do? Leave the poor thing at the police station?"

"No I suppose not." The woman's gaze met the girls and she smiled, immediately noticing how her small face broke into a beam.

"Anyway, what are we to call her?" Mrs Hughes frowned. "Call out some names and we'll see what she likes."

"What?!"

"Oh just do it!"

"I feel ridiculous." Carson muttered before thinking up some names.

"Hazel?"

"Molly?"

"Lucy?"

"Alice! That's a nice one- no? Okay."

"Try nicknames." Elsie interrupted.

"If I must." Charles grumbled.

"Hattie?"

"Oh Lord, um… Maggie?"

"Connie?"

"Elsie!"

"Lottie?"

Upon hearing the last name, the girl tuned around and looked at Carson expectantly.

"Lottie!" He said triumphantly, looking up at his wife. "She's called Charlotte."

"Well I'm glad we got that cleared up. Lottie she is."

Elsie sat in the big armchair the other side of the fire, watching the small child toddle over and pull at her dress.

"Do you want to be picked up Lottie?" She asked, her voice gentle. Charlotte nodded earnestly, and just as the woman went to lift her up, Carson shouted out.

"Wait, no!"

Frozen with the girl in mid-air, Mrs Hughes looked at her husband with furrowed brows.

"Excuse me?"

"Make sure she's wearing a cloth first." He said pointedly. "You won't want her ruining your new dress with her… bodily fluids."

Elsie burst out laughing, causing the other two to jump.

"Oh Charlie you are funny. "Bodily fluids"."

"Just looking out for you my dear." He shrugged, picking up a book and trying to read it. However, he felt his gaze wander above the hardback to his wife opposite him. Lottie was curled up in the crook of her arm, head resting on the woman's soft chest. She told a story as the girl's eyelids drooped, and Elsie's weren't far behind.


End file.
